Fluorescence DNA sequencing test for cancer screening wins validation approval

Acupath Laboratories (Plainview, NY) has received validation approval by the New York State Department of Health for the lab's AcuProbe Spitz test based on fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), a technique that detects and localizes the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences on chromosomes. The new test is used for diagnosing Spitz nevus, a benign mole seen mostly in children and young adults that closely mimics malignant melanoma in conventional histological tests.

The FISH technique provides more accurate and objective results than conventional methods because FISH markers are able to detect the presence or absence of specific DNA sequences on chromosomes in individual cells by using fluorescent probes that only target the genes of interest. When FISH is used to identify a Spitz nevus, the FISH probes target the gene HRAS, which recent publications have shown may be amplified in patients with Spitz nevus but not in patients with melanoma.

The test enables pathologists to determine with certainty that the Spitz nevus cells have the presence of the gene HRAS and when used in conjunction with histology allows them to provide physicians with an objective and accurate diagnosis.

For more information, please visit https://www.acupath.com/acuprobe/.

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